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Welcome to Our Wave.

This is a space where survivors of trauma and abuse share their stories alongside supportive allies. These stories remind us that hope exists even in dark times. You are never alone in your experience. Healing is possible for everyone.

What feels like the right place to start today?
Message of Healing
From a survivor

I’m 32 years old, and there is something from my childhood that I have carried with me for many years. I have never truly been able to forgive myself for it. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was around 12 to 14 years old. My younger male cousin was still a very small child, perhaps one or two years old. One day, we were playing together, and he kissed me on the mouth. I remember feeling something pleasant, an unfamiliar sensation that I had never experienced before. I didn’t really understand what I was feeling or what it meant. After that, I initiated another kiss because I wanted to experience that feeling again. I was young, confused, and unaware of how to understand what had happened or what it meant. I have never forgotten that moment. As the years passed, I began to feel deeply ashamed of myself. I started seeing myself as a bad person, and the guilt became so overwhelming that, at times, I even wished I could die. I have been through many difficult experiences in my life, and this memory has remained with me. I have consulted mental health professionals, but I still struggle with these feelings. Even today, I find it difficult to forgive myself. What hurts me most is that my cousin was so young. I worry that I might have hurt him psychologically or left him with a negative memory. I don’t know whether he remembers anything or whether the experience affected him in any way. I have no way of knowing, but the uncertainty continues to torment me. I have never wanted to hurt anyone. However, I keep asking myself whether what I did makes me a bad person. I understand that I was young myself, but I am now an adult, and I look back at that memory with the understanding I have today. I find it difficult to separate the child I was then from the person I am now. My questions are: • Was I guilty of doing something wrong, considering my age and my lack of understanding at the time? • Does the fact that I initiated another kiss mean that I deliberately did something harmful? • Is it possible that I hurt my cousin psychologically, even though I have no evidence that he was affected? • How can I distinguish genuine responsibility from excessive guilt and self-punishment? • How can I forgive myself and stop defining my entire identity by something that happened when I was a child

  • Report

  • Story
    From a survivor
    🇬🇧

    Abused by Gynecologist

    In my survival story, "Just Words, Dirty Words", I shared so much and I brushed over an experience with a male gynecologist. It was a much bigger deal that I let on because it had triggered my previous abuse as an adolescent on my first job. I wonted other girls and women to understand what is not okay for a gynecologist to do. It was not until after it happened that I realized the full impact. I realized I had let myself be victimized again without trying to stop it. I felt self-loathing and anxiety. I write this letter to that opportunistic predator. You broke your oath. You betrayed the trust. You are terrible! I have done research on what a breast and pelvic exam is supposed be like and understand you used the framework to sexually assault me. I was late for the appointment to get birth control at the university clinic when I had just moved for college. You let me in even though you had no nurse chaperon, it seemed that you might have sent them home after putting me in the room. You are a man and that is against policy. We shared our first eye contact and I ignored your lust and first glance flirtation. You saw I was vulnerable and needed something from you. You told me as a new patient you have to do a full first visit exam. Now I believe you may have lied. I nodded and put down my guard. When you returned I was undressed wearing a paper smock for a false sense of security. I was self conscious even though I had impeccable hygiene and grooming but worried I was not fresh enough so late in the day because you were a man and you made it sexual. You examined my breasts with no gloves. I said nothing. I knew you were massaging them for you pleasure. You went on for five minutes like that. I think five whole minutes while you kept talking. When my boss used to molest me just seconds was plenty to make me feel sick and used. He would sit on my torso, compressing my ribs to the point I could not take a deep breath and have sex with my breasts and he usually took less time than you. do remember you used the words “wonderful” and “amazing” when commenting on by breast health. We could both smell the musk from down below from stimulating me like that. I was embarrassed. You should have been the one ashamed! You mentioned the textures and gave some instructional anatomy to pretend it might be official. You asked random questions and you shared personal stories like it was a date. All the while you were groping my tits like a pervert. Both hands at the same time! I tried to cover for you by pretending like this was not insane and not a sexual assault. You were twice my age and your mustache was ridiculous. You finally moved on to the pelvic exam. You said the words, “Very nice” when you lifted up the paper drape to help my feet into the stirrups. That is not appropriate when viewing a patient’s vagina for the first time. You explained every step from “I’m going to touch your thighs now” to “take a deep breath as I insert the speculum”. That part was quick but then you explained the manual exam that you did for too long. You inserted two fingers to check for cervical motion tenderness but rubbed my clitoris with your lubricated thumb as you did so. That was wrong! You explained that you were going to move your other hand to check for tenderness of my ovaries to check for infection but kept working your other hand on my clit and inside me. You put what felt like three fingers in me! You were sexually assaulting me again. Breaching my trust. Ignoring you oath. As a last indignity you felt for masses in the space between my vagina and rectum. You left your thumb in my vagina while you put a finger in my anus and moved them both back and in and out explaining you thought you felt something for a second but it resolved on massage, meaning it was nothing to worry about. You raped me! That was rape! I looked it up and what you were doing is a real part of an exam but no gynecologist had done that before then or ever since! Instead of leaving the room while I dressed you stayed and helped by holding out my clothes! Totally inappropriate! You should not have a medical license! Sure I let you, and I cooperated, and even tried to endure it and put on a pleasant face. I was a different person then and you just continued my cycle of being abused by men. But the anus part was where I felt true terror and wanted to get out. You gave me a business card with your name on it and told me to call and ask when you were working to schedule next visit. Then you only wrote me for 1 refill on 30 day birth control! Like I would even come back to be assaulted again. You smug abuser of power and trust! I left with you thinking I enjoyed that and would see you again!!! You make me want to scream and pound on things! It was delayed, but my abuse anxiety was triggered that night, and days after. I will never see a male gynecologist again. Your lust and greed is not better than that of a rapist. You broke my trust in the medical system and I still get anxiety at any doctor visit. Just because a girl’s reaction to abuse is not instant, because of some survival mechanism, does not make it any less painful. Sometimes even more, because we feel guilty for not being strong and assertive. You were in a position of authority and abused it so badly. You should be ashamed, doctor! You should be in prison!

  • Report

  • You are wonderful, strong, and worthy. From one survivor to another.

    Message of Hope
    From a survivor

    I’m 32 years old, and there is something from my childhood that I have carried with me for many years. I have never truly been able to forgive myself for it. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was around 12 to 14 years old. My younger male cousin was still a very small child, perhaps one or two years old. One day, we were playing together, and he kissed me on the mouth. I remember feeling something pleasant, an unfamiliar sensation that I had never experienced before. I didn’t really understand what I was feeling or what it meant. After that, I initiated another kiss because I wanted to experience that feeling again. I was young, confused, and unaware of how to understand what had happened or what it meant. I have never forgotten that moment. As the years passed, I began to feel deeply ashamed of myself. I started seeing myself as a bad person, and the guilt became so overwhelming that, at times, I even wished I could die. I have been through many difficult experiences in my life, and this memory has remained with me. I have consulted mental health professionals, but I still struggle with these feelings. Even today, I find it difficult to forgive myself. What hurts me most is that my cousin was so young. I worry that I might have hurt him psychologically or left him with a negative memory. I don’t know whether he remembers anything or whether the experience affected him in any way. I have no way of knowing, but the uncertainty continues to torment me. I have never wanted to hurt anyone. However, I keep asking myself whether what I did makes me a bad person. I understand that I was young myself, but I am now an adult, and I look back at that memory with the understanding I have today. I find it difficult to separate the child I was then from the person I am now. My questions are: • Was I guilty of doing something wrong, considering my age and my lack of understanding at the time? • Does the fact that I initiated another kiss mean that I deliberately did something harmful? • Is it possible that I hurt my cousin psychologically, even though I have no evidence that he was affected? • How can I distinguish genuine responsibility from excessive guilt and self-punishment? • How can I forgive myself and stop defining my entire identity by something that happened when I was a child

  • Report

  • Story
    From a survivor
    🇺🇸

    Survivor

    My name is Survivor and I live in Huntsville, TX. In 2004, at the age of 15 I was introduced to a man who was a pedophile. This was just after my parents divorced and after growing up with a severely abusive father, I was desperate from male leadership in my life. Needless to say, I was an easy victim. This man began grooming me and would eventually begin molesting me. This happened once or twice a month for the rest of my high school. Little did I know, this man was working alongside a college ministry called Chi Alpha and the Assemblies of God for at least 2 decades and had already molested other boys. For which he served a mere 90 days in Alaska jail. Pastors in our ministry tried to convince students, many of whom who were victims, to write letters of lienance on behalf of the abuser. You would think after high school and turning 18 I would have moved on and left him. After all, why would anyone continue to let themselves get abused? Unfortunately, that’s not how grooming or the mind of a victim works. So, I’m sad to say, the abuse continued. When I was abused in 2005, the statute of limitations in Texas at that time were until the age of 23. At the age of 23, I was still being molested by this man. For a significant amount of time the leadership in the Assemblies of God, which was the denomination I had been apart of my whole life, knew that this man was a registered sex offender and did not take needed steps to rid our ministries of him. I was one of the first victims to publicly come forward in 2023. For nearly 20 years I told no one, not even my wife. Myself and 5 friends, some even pastors in the Assemblies of God, started making calls to friends figuring other men had been abused heard dozens of stories of abuse because we were trying to help over 40 victims get help, seek justice, and heal. We all watched in horror as NDAs were used to insulate organizational leadership to cover themselves, using the NDAs as a fog of ignorance and hiding behind it. Because of this, Justice has not been served. Since then the Assemblies of God has tried to dismiss valid civil claims of negligence, has sidelined victims in the investigation process, and has sneakily tried to get victims to sign NDA’s. I’ll also add that I am a high school teacher here in Texas, and every year I hear stories from students who have been sexually harassed or abused in all kinds of scenarios. The happy side of my story is the abuser is currently in jail and awaiting trial. My wife and I have a rule in our house with our kids - no secrets. Last night I talked to my 8 year old daughter (in kid language) how NDA’s are used. And she said “but if you keep it secret doesn’t that bad person keep hurting children?” I had the privilege of working with Elizabeth and everyone involved with Trey’s Law. It helped my healing so much to be able to meet and talk with other survivors. To hear their struggles and to know I wasn’t crazy or alone. Through that legislative process I found my voice and gained confidence in sharing my story. Thank you Elizabeth for helping me tag along!

  • Report

  • Healing is not linear. It is different for everyone. It is important that we stay patient with ourselves when setbacks occur in our process. Forgive yourself for everything that may go wrong along the way.

    Welcome to Our Wave.

    This is a space where survivors of trauma and abuse share their stories alongside supportive allies. These stories remind us that hope exists even in dark times. You are never alone in your experience. Healing is possible for everyone.

    What feels like the right place to start today?
    Story
    From a survivor
    🇬🇧

    Abused by Gynecologist

    In my survival story, "Just Words, Dirty Words", I shared so much and I brushed over an experience with a male gynecologist. It was a much bigger deal that I let on because it had triggered my previous abuse as an adolescent on my first job. I wonted other girls and women to understand what is not okay for a gynecologist to do. It was not until after it happened that I realized the full impact. I realized I had let myself be victimized again without trying to stop it. I felt self-loathing and anxiety. I write this letter to that opportunistic predator. You broke your oath. You betrayed the trust. You are terrible! I have done research on what a breast and pelvic exam is supposed be like and understand you used the framework to sexually assault me. I was late for the appointment to get birth control at the university clinic when I had just moved for college. You let me in even though you had no nurse chaperon, it seemed that you might have sent them home after putting me in the room. You are a man and that is against policy. We shared our first eye contact and I ignored your lust and first glance flirtation. You saw I was vulnerable and needed something from you. You told me as a new patient you have to do a full first visit exam. Now I believe you may have lied. I nodded and put down my guard. When you returned I was undressed wearing a paper smock for a false sense of security. I was self conscious even though I had impeccable hygiene and grooming but worried I was not fresh enough so late in the day because you were a man and you made it sexual. You examined my breasts with no gloves. I said nothing. I knew you were massaging them for you pleasure. You went on for five minutes like that. I think five whole minutes while you kept talking. When my boss used to molest me just seconds was plenty to make me feel sick and used. He would sit on my torso, compressing my ribs to the point I could not take a deep breath and have sex with my breasts and he usually took less time than you. do remember you used the words “wonderful” and “amazing” when commenting on by breast health. We could both smell the musk from down below from stimulating me like that. I was embarrassed. You should have been the one ashamed! You mentioned the textures and gave some instructional anatomy to pretend it might be official. You asked random questions and you shared personal stories like it was a date. All the while you were groping my tits like a pervert. Both hands at the same time! I tried to cover for you by pretending like this was not insane and not a sexual assault. You were twice my age and your mustache was ridiculous. You finally moved on to the pelvic exam. You said the words, “Very nice” when you lifted up the paper drape to help my feet into the stirrups. That is not appropriate when viewing a patient’s vagina for the first time. You explained every step from “I’m going to touch your thighs now” to “take a deep breath as I insert the speculum”. That part was quick but then you explained the manual exam that you did for too long. You inserted two fingers to check for cervical motion tenderness but rubbed my clitoris with your lubricated thumb as you did so. That was wrong! You explained that you were going to move your other hand to check for tenderness of my ovaries to check for infection but kept working your other hand on my clit and inside me. You put what felt like three fingers in me! You were sexually assaulting me again. Breaching my trust. Ignoring you oath. As a last indignity you felt for masses in the space between my vagina and rectum. You left your thumb in my vagina while you put a finger in my anus and moved them both back and in and out explaining you thought you felt something for a second but it resolved on massage, meaning it was nothing to worry about. You raped me! That was rape! I looked it up and what you were doing is a real part of an exam but no gynecologist had done that before then or ever since! Instead of leaving the room while I dressed you stayed and helped by holding out my clothes! Totally inappropriate! You should not have a medical license! Sure I let you, and I cooperated, and even tried to endure it and put on a pleasant face. I was a different person then and you just continued my cycle of being abused by men. But the anus part was where I felt true terror and wanted to get out. You gave me a business card with your name on it and told me to call and ask when you were working to schedule next visit. Then you only wrote me for 1 refill on 30 day birth control! Like I would even come back to be assaulted again. You smug abuser of power and trust! I left with you thinking I enjoyed that and would see you again!!! You make me want to scream and pound on things! It was delayed, but my abuse anxiety was triggered that night, and days after. I will never see a male gynecologist again. Your lust and greed is not better than that of a rapist. You broke my trust in the medical system and I still get anxiety at any doctor visit. Just because a girl’s reaction to abuse is not instant, because of some survival mechanism, does not make it any less painful. Sometimes even more, because we feel guilty for not being strong and assertive. You were in a position of authority and abused it so badly. You should be ashamed, doctor! You should be in prison!

  • Report

  • You are wonderful, strong, and worthy. From one survivor to another.

    Healing is not linear. It is different for everyone. It is important that we stay patient with ourselves when setbacks occur in our process. Forgive yourself for everything that may go wrong along the way.

    Message of Healing
    From a survivor

    I’m 32 years old, and there is something from my childhood that I have carried with me for many years. I have never truly been able to forgive myself for it. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was around 12 to 14 years old. My younger male cousin was still a very small child, perhaps one or two years old. One day, we were playing together, and he kissed me on the mouth. I remember feeling something pleasant, an unfamiliar sensation that I had never experienced before. I didn’t really understand what I was feeling or what it meant. After that, I initiated another kiss because I wanted to experience that feeling again. I was young, confused, and unaware of how to understand what had happened or what it meant. I have never forgotten that moment. As the years passed, I began to feel deeply ashamed of myself. I started seeing myself as a bad person, and the guilt became so overwhelming that, at times, I even wished I could die. I have been through many difficult experiences in my life, and this memory has remained with me. I have consulted mental health professionals, but I still struggle with these feelings. Even today, I find it difficult to forgive myself. What hurts me most is that my cousin was so young. I worry that I might have hurt him psychologically or left him with a negative memory. I don’t know whether he remembers anything or whether the experience affected him in any way. I have no way of knowing, but the uncertainty continues to torment me. I have never wanted to hurt anyone. However, I keep asking myself whether what I did makes me a bad person. I understand that I was young myself, but I am now an adult, and I look back at that memory with the understanding I have today. I find it difficult to separate the child I was then from the person I am now. My questions are: • Was I guilty of doing something wrong, considering my age and my lack of understanding at the time? • Does the fact that I initiated another kiss mean that I deliberately did something harmful? • Is it possible that I hurt my cousin psychologically, even though I have no evidence that he was affected? • How can I distinguish genuine responsibility from excessive guilt and self-punishment? • How can I forgive myself and stop defining my entire identity by something that happened when I was a child

  • Report

  • Message of Hope
    From a survivor

    I’m 32 years old, and there is something from my childhood that I have carried with me for many years. I have never truly been able to forgive myself for it. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think I was around 12 to 14 years old. My younger male cousin was still a very small child, perhaps one or two years old. One day, we were playing together, and he kissed me on the mouth. I remember feeling something pleasant, an unfamiliar sensation that I had never experienced before. I didn’t really understand what I was feeling or what it meant. After that, I initiated another kiss because I wanted to experience that feeling again. I was young, confused, and unaware of how to understand what had happened or what it meant. I have never forgotten that moment. As the years passed, I began to feel deeply ashamed of myself. I started seeing myself as a bad person, and the guilt became so overwhelming that, at times, I even wished I could die. I have been through many difficult experiences in my life, and this memory has remained with me. I have consulted mental health professionals, but I still struggle with these feelings. Even today, I find it difficult to forgive myself. What hurts me most is that my cousin was so young. I worry that I might have hurt him psychologically or left him with a negative memory. I don’t know whether he remembers anything or whether the experience affected him in any way. I have no way of knowing, but the uncertainty continues to torment me. I have never wanted to hurt anyone. However, I keep asking myself whether what I did makes me a bad person. I understand that I was young myself, but I am now an adult, and I look back at that memory with the understanding I have today. I find it difficult to separate the child I was then from the person I am now. My questions are: • Was I guilty of doing something wrong, considering my age and my lack of understanding at the time? • Does the fact that I initiated another kiss mean that I deliberately did something harmful? • Is it possible that I hurt my cousin psychologically, even though I have no evidence that he was affected? • How can I distinguish genuine responsibility from excessive guilt and self-punishment? • How can I forgive myself and stop defining my entire identity by something that happened when I was a child

  • Report

  • Story
    From a survivor
    🇺🇸

    Survivor

    My name is Survivor and I live in Huntsville, TX. In 2004, at the age of 15 I was introduced to a man who was a pedophile. This was just after my parents divorced and after growing up with a severely abusive father, I was desperate from male leadership in my life. Needless to say, I was an easy victim. This man began grooming me and would eventually begin molesting me. This happened once or twice a month for the rest of my high school. Little did I know, this man was working alongside a college ministry called Chi Alpha and the Assemblies of God for at least 2 decades and had already molested other boys. For which he served a mere 90 days in Alaska jail. Pastors in our ministry tried to convince students, many of whom who were victims, to write letters of lienance on behalf of the abuser. You would think after high school and turning 18 I would have moved on and left him. After all, why would anyone continue to let themselves get abused? Unfortunately, that’s not how grooming or the mind of a victim works. So, I’m sad to say, the abuse continued. When I was abused in 2005, the statute of limitations in Texas at that time were until the age of 23. At the age of 23, I was still being molested by this man. For a significant amount of time the leadership in the Assemblies of God, which was the denomination I had been apart of my whole life, knew that this man was a registered sex offender and did not take needed steps to rid our ministries of him. I was one of the first victims to publicly come forward in 2023. For nearly 20 years I told no one, not even my wife. Myself and 5 friends, some even pastors in the Assemblies of God, started making calls to friends figuring other men had been abused heard dozens of stories of abuse because we were trying to help over 40 victims get help, seek justice, and heal. We all watched in horror as NDAs were used to insulate organizational leadership to cover themselves, using the NDAs as a fog of ignorance and hiding behind it. Because of this, Justice has not been served. Since then the Assemblies of God has tried to dismiss valid civil claims of negligence, has sidelined victims in the investigation process, and has sneakily tried to get victims to sign NDA’s. I’ll also add that I am a high school teacher here in Texas, and every year I hear stories from students who have been sexually harassed or abused in all kinds of scenarios. The happy side of my story is the abuser is currently in jail and awaiting trial. My wife and I have a rule in our house with our kids - no secrets. Last night I talked to my 8 year old daughter (in kid language) how NDA’s are used. And she said “but if you keep it secret doesn’t that bad person keep hurting children?” I had the privilege of working with Elizabeth and everyone involved with Trey’s Law. It helped my healing so much to be able to meet and talk with other survivors. To hear their struggles and to know I wasn’t crazy or alone. Through that legislative process I found my voice and gained confidence in sharing my story. Thank you Elizabeth for helping me tag along!

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    Grounding activity

    Find a comfortable place to sit. Gently close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths - in through your nose (count to 3), out through your mouth (count of 3). Now open your eyes and look around you. Name the following out loud:

    5 – things you can see (you can look within the room and out of the window)

    4 – things you can feel (what is in front of you that you can touch?)

    3 – things you can hear

    2 – things you can smell

    1 – thing you like about yourself.

    Take a deep breath to end.

    From where you are sitting, look around for things that have a texture or are nice or interesting to look at.

    Hold an object in your hand and bring your full focus to it. Look at where shadows fall on parts of it or maybe where there are shapes that form within the object. Feel how heavy or light it is in your hand and what the surface texture feels like under your fingers (This can also be done with a pet if you have one).

    Take a deep breath to end.

    Ask yourself the following questions and answer them out loud:

    1. Where am I?

    2. What day of the week is today?

    3. What is today’s date?

    4. What is the current month?

    5. What is the current year?

    6. How old am I?

    7. What season is it?

    Take a deep breath to end.

    Put your right hand palm down on your left shoulder. Put your left hand palm down on your right shoulder. Choose a sentence that will strengthen you. For example: “I am powerful.” Say the sentence out loud first and pat your right hand on your left shoulder, then your left hand on your right shoulder.

    Alternate the patting. Do ten pats altogether, five on each side, each time repeating your sentences aloud.

    Take a deep breath to end.

    Cross your arms in front of you and draw them towards your chest. With your right hand, hold your left upper arm. With your left hand, hold your right upper arm. Squeeze gently, and pull your arms inwards. Hold the squeeze for a little while, finding the right amount of squeeze for you in this moment. Hold the tension and release. Then squeeze for a little while again and release. Stay like that for a moment.

    Take a deep breath to end.